Back in MLS, the buzz continues to grow for Friday night’s Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire – a battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference on NBC Sports Network (8:30 pm ET). The Fire are especially pumped up: “You’re playing for first place. You don’t need to say much about games like that.”

Sounders star forward Eddie Johnson looks like he’s getting a vote of confidence from Jurgen Klinsmann. The very end of this report indicates that manager Sigi Schmid has had conversations with the USMNT boss. But it’s about a possible call-up in February 2013!

Hope you have time for the massive amount of soccer matches on the tube today. In addition to Copa MX action on Univision Deportes, there are CONCACAF Champions League matches on Univision Deportes 2 (W Connection vs. Chivas Guadalajara at 8 pm ET) and Galavision (CD Marathon vs. Caledonia at 10 pm ET).

The Capital One Cup features a dandy between Manchester United and Newcastle (2:30 pm ET, beIN Sport) and the Bundesliga is on GolTV when Stuttgart take on Hoffenheim and their Americans (2 pm ET). And Fox Deportes has CONMEBOL’s SuperCup (6 pm ET) and Copa Sudamericana action (9 pm ET).

Speaking of the international game, many have attempted to explain the success that Mexican soccer has enjoyed over recent years. Here’s the view of someone who has seen what has occurred in Mexico and the USA and he states: “Maybe in Mexico we have a little bit better grip on things. Because historically [in the USA] you have all these factions – colleges, high schools, enemies, politics.”